USA > Illinois > Montgomery County > Past and present of Montgomery County, Illinois > Part 69
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Brown, Flower Husband. William Hamilton and L. C. Richards came from the south and settled in this section. Each of these were valuable accessions to the neighborhood and in nearly every case some representative of these families remain. Most of these pioneers were laid to rest in the old burying ground at Sul- phur Spring. Many of their graves are un- marked and the story of their lives must re- main a simple tradition. The first school in Pitman was kept by William Melver, in 1854. in a little school house built by the united ef- fort of the earlier settlers. Pitman township. however. four years later enjoyed the privilege of having a public school, which was kept by William King. The first justice of the peace was John L. Rogers, elected in 1840. The church history of this township, like that of the others mentioned, was of a primitive char- acter, but the religious fervor of the pioneers was just as intense and the devotion of her peo- ple was just as sincere as was found in the other settlements. The village of Waggoner situated two miles from the south line and two and a half from the west line of Pitman township. is a thriving little village. Sur- rounded by an enterprising citizenship Wag- goner bids fair to become quite a little town in the near future. Among those who have been prominent in the affairs of this township the past few years we may name Horace G. Wag- goner. Henry and John Waggoner. Felix Rich- ardson. J. W. White. C. H. Jordan, Charles Gillman. S. F. Brubaker. C. H. Burton. who for many years was school treasurer of his township and Charley Treadway. once among the most successful teachers of this section of the county. Felix G. Richardson. whose name appears above, has for several years served his township as a member of the board of super- visors. Mr. Richardson is one of the public spirited influential men of Pitman township. The late Horace Waggoner was another of the forceful characters of that section. Unfortu- nately he had arrived scarcely at his meridian when the grim messenger called him from the affairs of life. James White is another who through the struggles and privations gathered for himself an estate ample for all the needs of age. Mr. White has also passed into the be-
vond, but he has left several children who are among the best citizens of our county. Frank DeWitt, the political heavyweight of the Democratic party in Montgomery county, lives in Pitman township. While Mr. DeWitt tips the scales at over three hundred pounds of avordupois, he has a heart proportionately large and a generosity as ample as any man of his means could possibly be. This gentleman is well known throughout the country, having been mixed up in some of the political wind storms that sweep over our county every four years. While Mr. DeWitt has not succeeded in knocking the political persimmon, it does not follow, however, that he would not make an acceptable county official.
ZANESVILLE TOWNSHIP.
This township is undulating in part and level in part. fi is drained by tributaries of the west fork of Shoal creek and Macoupin creek. Robert Palmer is supposed to have been the first settler within the limits of this town- ship, at least we find it recorded that he had established an inn near the site of Old Zanes- ville as early as 1824. Tradition speaks of Robert Palmer as an all around hard character. Many robberies having been committed in his locality, suspicion soon attached to him. His tavern was stopping place for a gang of thieves and gamblers and soon became noted in this western country as a dangerous place for one to stop who had money. It was no uncommon thing in an early day for the traveler to dis- appear to be heard of no more and doubtless Palmer and his gang were quite as notorious as the Benders, who operated some years ago along the Kansas frontier. Palmer, finding that he was under suspicion, disappeared rather mysteriously. Later. it is reported. that he was hanged afterward for complicity in a brutal murder in the state of lowa. Conditions were such in the immediate neighborhood of the Palmer tavern that few permanent settlements were made while he remained in that section. We find that in 1828 George Brewer entered the land on which the village of Old Zanesville was located and that he laid out a part of his
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land in town lots. He secured the location of a postoffice at this place and called it Leesburg in honor of a wholesale merchant in St. Louis, in whose name the land was entered. Mr. Brewer built a commodious store building and put in a stock of general merchandise. Other parties were attracted by the opportunities which seemed to present themselves in the neighborhood of Leesburg. By 1830 there had heen accessions to the town and surrounding community that warranted the organization of a school and the building of a place of wor- ship. So rapidly did this frontier burg im- prove that in 1835 it lacked but few in popu- lation of being as large as Hillsboro. While this settlement at Leesburg was being made, several pioneers had entered the southwest cor- ner of the township and had made a settlement there. Among those whose names have been kept were Isaac Bailey, James Crawford. Thomas and Zebedee Williams. Somewhat later Robert Allen settled near them and fol- lowing Mr. Allen was Beatty Burk, George Burroughs. D. V. Schumway and Oliver Chas- tine. About 1840 a settlement was made near the head waters of Shoal ereck and among these we find Walker Williams, Elgin Smith, Jeifer- son Parrott and Moses Martin. Another party settled in close proximity to the village of Lees- burg. Among those are Joseph Vignos. Dr. Caldwell and Spence Smitherman. Dr. Cald- well was one of the earliest physicians of this section and at last accounts, the doctor was liv- ing in retirement at the village of Waggoner. The writer remembers him as a resident of the old village of Zanesville, about twelve years ago. The doctor was very entertaining and enjoyed reciting the experiences of pioneer times. Spence Smitherman was engaged in farming and stock-raising. He took especial pride in breeding a class of traveling horses and some of the best roadsters that were sold from this county went from the Smitherman farm. Ile also operated a flouring mill in the village of Old Zanesville (formerly called Leesburg). The Jacksonville and Vandalia stage-coach lines passed through Leesburg and the state road leading from Carlinville to Taylorville in- tersected the old Vandalia road at this place. In 1838 Edward Crawford erected the first
horse mill in the township. This primitive concern was operated almost day and night to supply the settlements adjacent with bread stuff. In 1869 a company consisting of Messrs. Sharp, Johnson and Berry erected and equipped the Zanesville touring mill. It is reported that the first cost of this mill was sixteen thousand dollars. At its completion it was the largest and most complete mill in Montgomery county, having a capacity of one hundred barrels of four per day. For three or four years this mill did an extensive business and paid large divi- dend to its owners, but in 18:3, when the finan- cial crash came and a panie seized the people, this enterprise, like many others, became seri- ously involved. Sharp and Berry, who had be- come sole owners, disposed of the mill to Spence Smitherman and Clark Sinclaire, who for rea- sons best known to themselves. never attempted to operate it. At the first election held in this precinct which, at that time, 1835, included the entire northwest part of the county. George Brewer and James Crawford were elected jus- tices of the peace. Stephen Crawford, son of James Crawford, born in 1831. on the night of the 13th of November, was the first child born in the township. It is recorded that the great metorie shower, known as the falling stars, oc- entred on this date. Certainly James Craw- ford. the pioneer, would have occasion to re- member the event. The first school teacher was one Henry Mayor, but the exact time is not recorded. The schools of this township were not different from those in other early settle- ments in the county. Usually some vacated cabin was appropriated and made to serve as a school room. In other cases we find that the settlers came together at some point near the center of the settlement and built a log cabin for school purposes. In many instances these rnde structures were not provided with other than a dirt floor and a log sawed out of the east or sonth side served as a window to admit light. At the west or north was built a large open fire place with a stick chimney daubed with mud, and in these primitive academies our fathers and mothers, the sons and daughters of the pioneers of Montgomery county learned to read, to cipher and to write. Elder James Street, of Clear Spring settlement, preached at
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the residence of Jacob Baker as early as 1830. and a Baptist organization was effected in that neighborhood soon after. Other denomina- tions have had their organizations, have built churches and each in its time has flourished. but the building up of surrounding villages and towns along our railroads has interfered very seriously with the maintenance of church organization in rural communities and Zanes- ville township is not an exception to these con- ditions. While we do not desire to bar the progress or stay the immutable law of change. vet to travel throughout the country districts in any part of our state, the decay of the rural church is so noticeable as to bring a feeling of sadness over one whose early life knew only the sacredness of the country church. To-day these tenantless houses standing so near the burial places of our fathers keep silent watch as they crumble into decay over the last resting place of our pioneer dead. If there is aught that can stay the mad rush of the present generation in its scramble for wealth. it might be for each to walk alone through the deserted graveyards which may be found in many parts of the coun- try where slabs of marble, green with lichens that almost obliterate the letters carved on the face, tells in few words the name of the worthy dead who lies beneath. To reflect upon the end of the struggle which has no purpose higher than dollars might well afford to listen to the teachings that come from those silent graves. In 1869 the village of Zanesville had four large general stores, one grocery, three blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, two hotels, one cooper shop and two saloons. The latter always a curse to any people. Three physicians hung out their signs in this busy little burg, George Mayfield. J. W. Wheeler and G. W. Caldwell. Dr. Mayfield was among the carlier physicians of the town. In an altercation with a man by the name of Hardy. Mayfield was killed. In the trial it was proven that Mayfield was the aggressor and Hardy was acquitted on the ground of self-defense. Another record of murder belongs to Zanesville township. In 1853 Andrew Nash, in a drunken brawl, killed Peter Lockerman. Nash, escaping from the country. was afterward apprehended in Arkan- sas, brought back and placed in jail at Carlin-
ville. lle was tried and condemned to be hung. His friends circulated a petition to be pre- sented to the governor to have his sentence commuted to life imprisonment, fearing that the governor might grant the petition, a mob of Lockerman's friends appeared before the jail in Carlinville at night and so frightened Nash that he committed suicide by hanging himself in his cell. Among those who are to-day fore- most in the affairs of Zanesville township are George W. Martin, who owns a very fine farm in the southeastern part of the township. O. K. Rummons, who lives in the neighborhood of Old Zanesville, and Oscar B. Cane, his neighbor, are both farmers who contribute to the pro- gressive spirit of the community. R. A. Bar- nett, who lives in the southwestern part of the township, has also been a leading character in his immediate section. Among those whose names were familiar a few years ago, was Dan P. Rogers, Perry Martin. James Duff. Joseph Vignos, Spence Smitherman and many others whose accounts are closed but whose works are living still. At present there is no postoffice within the limits of the township unless it he at Barnett, where a portion of the village lies within Zanesville. Three railroads, the Wa- bash. crossing the southeast corner, the Illinois Central. dividing the township almost into two parts from north to south, and the Burlington, which touches the southwest corner, have proven of but little immediate value to Zanesville township, as no station of importance has been located therein.
RAYMOND TOWNSHIP AND THE VIL- LAAGE OF RAYMOND.
Raymond township was named in honor of Thomas Raymond, at one time vice-president of the Wabash Railroad. This township is somewhat diversified in the character of its soil and with reference to its surface. The west fork of Shoal creek, with its tributarios. flow through this township in its western half. Therefore we find the hill section of Raymond township in its western part. The northern and eastern part, comprising the larger division
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of the township, consists of a deep rich black soil. It ranks as one of the most fertile and productive townships in the county. Land val- ues in this township in the black soil sections have doubled within the last ten years, or. in other words, advancing from fifty dollars per acre in 1894 to one hundred dollars per acre in 1904. Men of money who do not care to enter the maelstrom of speculation find that under existing conditions these lands return an income of five per cent annually on an in- vestment of one hundred dollars per acre. The certainty of an income and the security of the in- vestment places these lands as valuable and as secure an investment as government bonds. To be sure men who seek to increase their capital at least by a hundred per cent every two or three years are not tempted to make invest- ments in illinois real estate. We can not hope to see an advance in farm lands within the next ten years such as has been within the period just past. nor could we hope should farm prod- lets decrease one-half in present average val- nes, that lands would maintain their present prices. It was Russell Sage who said that "five per cent and no hazard are gilt edge in- vestments." Therefore, so long as real estate will pay an average of five per cent on the in- vestment. the careful and discreet investor will seek such holdings. The undulating lands which lie adjacent to the water courses are not so valuable as are the flat black lands. Yet. there is a vast difference in the management of these different classes of soil. We have no- ticed that among our most successful farmers we find many who have grown wealthy on un- aulating lands where the soil is light gray or even chalk-like (post oak). The farmer on our gray lands who depends upon grain raising can not hope to grow rich, but we know quite a good many men of means who by stock-rais- ing and fruit growing, and who have depended largely upon dairy and poultry raising to ac- mire considerable moneys in bank and if we were to search out the men of large means in Montgomery county to-day. the larger half by far would fall south of a middle line drawn east and west through our county. The first permanent settler in Raymond township was Butler Seward, who located at what has been
known as Seward's Point, on the farm now owned by Samuel Miller and formerly owned by Elias Miller. Mathew Mitchell was the next to locate and his settlement is where Fred Mondhink now resides. David Sherer pur- chased the improvements that had been made by Mr. Mitchell and the latter moved to another locality. James Baker made a settlement at which is now known as the Oscar Seward home- stead and Robert Conyer settled the farm now known as the John Cass place. Mr. Cass pur- chased the Conver homestead in 1833 on which he lived until his death. Mr. Cass has many relatives and lineal descendants remaining in that section of the county. It might be well to state that I find one record that claims the first settlement of Raymond township to have been made in 182: by William Wilson and that Mathew Mitchell purchased the improvements which he had made. Oscar Seward, son of Butler Seward, purchased the Baker improve- ments about the year 1835. These were lo- cated immediately south of his father's home- stead at Seward's Point. Oscar Seward was a very remarkable man and the writer remembers many incidents that might be recorded to show the hospitality and generous spirit of Mr. Seward. It is related of Mr. Seward that in 1860 when Abraham Lincoln had received the nomination for presidency that Mr. Seward, in company with other leading Republican cit- izens of Montgomery county. made a pilgrim- age to Springfield to pay their respects to Mr. Lincoln, and that on their return Mr. Seward very generously entertained the entire company. It may not be ont of place to relate a cirenm- stance in which the writer in connection with several of his neighbors were made the recip- ients of Mr. Seward's hospitality. It will be remembered that in 1881 the southern part of Montgomery county suffered a complete failure because of the drouth of that year and the fol- lowing winter. 1881-82. was very open and wet and we were compelled to haul corn from the northern part of the county over the almost impassable highways. Some half dozen of our party had returned by nightfall as far as Oscar Seward's. We were invited by Mr. Seward to pass the night at his place. On the next morn- ing. however. he refused absolutely to be rec-
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY
ompensed for our night's lodging, saying that he was glad to be able to do so small a favor for his friends in the south part of the county, that some day the luck might change and we could return the favor to him or some one else. Oscar Seward has been dead some years and left several children surviving him. These and their children do well to honor the memory of their father and grandfather, Oscar Seward. At the Butler Seward home during the earlier period of the county, a public house known as Seward's Point was kept. It was a regular changing place for the stage coach of carly times and here such men as Douglas and Lin- coln. whose renown was to cover the land, would stop on their regular visits from Springfield to Vandalia. Some few years ago the writer paid a visit to Elias W. Miller, and on return- ing Mr. Miller said: "Tonight you will occupy the room in which Abraham Lincoln and Ste- phen A. Douglas have often slept." However, as Mr. Miller came into the room and sat chat- ting with me until 2:00 o'clock in the morning, I was not disturbed by the shades of these great men in my visions nor dreams. In speaking of Elias W. Miller I wish to say that for power of penetration and intellectual alertness that I have met few men who were to be considered his equal. Had Mr. Miller received educa- tional advantages in his youth and schooled himself in the law, he would have been a diplo- mat worthy to represent any cause at any court. Another character who came later upon the scene was Thomas Jefferson Scott. He resided on a farm near Mr. Miller, and on several oc- casions be represented his township on the board of supervisors. Mr. Scott has been dead some years, Imt he left surviving him his good wife and several sons and daughters. These form part of the great body of energetic young citizenship of the county. Edward Grimes, who owns a beautiful homestead abont two miles cast of the village of Raymond. is one of the most prominent citizens of that township. Mr. Grimes is very much interested in everything pertaining to farm life and work. Ile has been a member of the state board of ag- rienlture and much interested in the success of onr annual state fair. But few homes in Montgomery county are more attractive and
Systematically arranged than that of Edward Grimes of Raymond. Uriah Hartwick for many years a promient figure in the business and political circles of Raymond, was well known throughout Montgomery county. Ho served his township several terms as a member of the board of supervisors. He died very un- expectedly to his friends some two years ago. Fred Mondhink, during the period of his youth and carly manhood, was compelled to struggle hard to gain a footing in the world. For sex- eral years Fred worked by the mouth for Oscar Seward and later bought him a home which formed the nucleus of his present goodly es- tate. Fred is not only engaged in farming and stockraising. but is an extensive feeder and shipper. He ranks as one of the solid citizens of Raymond township. Mr. Samuel Miller, the present owner of the Elias Miller homestead, is one of the few who have engaged in the ship- ment of hogs and cattle to so watch the mar- kets and time his shipments as to be able to more than "break even" in his hazardous busi- ness. Mr. Miller in his line has been very successful and to-day as a result of his watch- fulness and care, enjoys a large estate. Wil- liam Bowles, ex-sheriff of Montgomery county. was another of the forceful characters that be- longed to the same class as Oscar Seward. 1Io was a very prominent citizen of the county in his day. being elected as sheriff at a time when the county was strongly Democratic, gives proof of his popularity among the people. Among the children which he left we may men- tion his son. familiarly known as "Bud" Bowles. This gentleman has inherited the good qualities of his father and few men in his locality enjoy the confidence and esteem of their neighbors more than "Bud" Bowles. Henry Hitchings, son of John W. Hitchings, the pio- neer, is another son of the soil who has de- quired a competency and who may during the declining years enjoy the fruits of his industry and frugality. His father, John W. Hitchings, was for many years one of the leading teach- ors of the county and few of the men and women of middle aged life who spent their school years in that section but remember the old school master. John Kidd, until recently a citizen of Raymond township and the village
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of Raymond, but who has removed to Litchfield. was for many years a prominent character in the affairs of Raymond township. Mr. Kidd's narrative belongs to the history of Raymond township and although he is no longer a citi- zen here, we give him this space to which we believe he is entitled. Dr. P. J. Hermon was for many years a practitioner in the neighbor- hood of Raymond, but he is now too advanced in years to further practice his profession. He is, however, among the honored and well respected pioneer citizens of the village. John HI. Mil- ler, until within the last few years engaged in agricultural pursuits, lived some three miles cast of Raymond, on a well apportioned farm. In 1892 Mr. Miller moved to the village of Raymond and engaged in the hardware and furniture business. He sold his farming in- terests and has given over the control of his hardware and furniture trade to his sons, (lif- ford E. and George A. His younger son, Lom- uel, is at present living in Hunnewell, Missouri, and his older son, JJesse, is a photographer in St. Louis, Missouri. Ilis only daughter is the wife of O. A. Edwards, of Coffeen. Mr. Mil- ler is among the substantial men of Raymond township. Another well known character of Raymond township is Dorman Crane, the ane- tioner. For several years he lived with his brother Needham Crane, about two miles south- cast of the village of Raymond. Within the last few years, however, Mr. Crane has been a resident of Butler Grove township. Dr. Frank Hicks, son-in-law of Oscar Seward, was for a number of years a prominent physician of Ray- mond. He has retired from the practice of his profession and is at present engaged in looking after his farming interests. Among the busi- ness men of Raymond we may mention Jacob Guller, Charles Sherer, Joseph Kessinger, Charles Schwartz. W. L. Seymour and quite a list of others that we can not at present call to mind. Among those who deserve to be remem- bered in this article are the late William Peck and Robert Pepperdine. J. D. Parrott is an- other, who, at last accounts, was yof among the living, but infirm and feeble through the experiences of four score years. Mr. Parrott had several sous, among whom is Walter H. who at one time represented this senatorial
district in the state legislature. His other sons are engaged in different lines of business in various parts of the country. We wish to remark here that Robert Pepperdine was the father of George Pepperdine, the brilliant young attorney who left Montgomery county some few years ago and located in Missouri. William and John Guthrie, who own farms north of the village, have also been helpful in the general progress of the township and the Chapmans are also names familiar to the pro- ple of that township, Judge Chapman having been associated with Judge E. Lane at the time of the building of our present county courthouse. Hezekiah Moore is one of the wealthy citizens of the village and has done much to build up the various interests of the town. The coal mine at that place we under- stand was due to his efforts and that he was among the heaviest subscribers to its stock. Mr. Moore is also one of the mainstays of the Methodist Episcopal church in his town. Another character that we wish to notice is the "Only" John Green. This gentleman estab- lished the first banking institution in the vil- lage and he has been engaged in various lines of merchandising at this place. He served his county as treasurer, 1890-91, and is well known to almost every citizen within its limits. He is a jolly, genial fellow and to know him means to class him as a friend. D. W. Star is another financial pillar of the village of Raymond and we understand that he is among the heavy stock- holders in the National Bank recently estab- lished there. Mr. Star is a man who appre- ciates his friends and the writer is glad to be numbered among them.
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